You're probably aware by now that I'm an avid reader of the global intelligence company STRATFOR. But this piece by their founder George Friedman is truly exceptional. If you're an American voter, interested in politics, or anyone interested in or affected by U.S. military actions (in other words, everyone), you should read this article. Why has no one else asked this question? And, as George points out, if this one part of the Constitution can be so repeatedly and publicly ignored by Congress and the president, what's next?

In the wake of the newly appointed heir to the North Korean dictatorship position, I've been thinking about the 'cult of personality'. Traditional reporting will often focus on the personality of leaders or, in the case of democracy, the details of leaders' interactions. While it's interesting to think about, some would call it one-sided, even topical. When I've got investments on the line, those are two words I don't want to describe my research.

The decisions of a single personality seem unreliable. But when you look deeper, you can see that most nations and even leaders with personality are forced to make decisions in a reliably logical fashion. What may seem like a broad spectrum of choices when examined carefully are actually just one or two logical ones. The personality of the leader is of much less consequence than the nation's geopolitics.

There is no lack of discussion about where we are right now - in terms of jobs, real estate, global economy, etc. Few get it right, and even fewer actually understand where we're headed. Once you find an information source that correctly predicts what's coming up, you hold on to it. For me, it's STRATFOR. It's not often that you find a news source with such a solid methodology.

Today I'm including a piece from STRATFOR on the Afghan war. It strikes me as one of their best pieces recently, and I encourage you to pay close attention to the candor of their analysis style. We all need to know what to expect from this conflict area, and though we might think we have a decent idea, there's always something at play behind the scenes.

The hottest headline this week is President Obama's war in Afghanistan. After his speech Tuesday night, critics, pundits and beltway know-it-alls have been giving their two cents across the airways, printing presses and online. On issues such as this, I eliminate the noise and go straight to my favorite source of intelligence. In the article I'm sending, my friend, and STRATFOR CEO, George Friedman spells out the key to winning this war - and it's not a troop surge. U.S. forces and a U.S.-trained Afghan army will need solid intelligence to quash the Taliban.

This is a Special Edition of Outside the Box from my friend George Friedman and Stratfor. You've heard me say before that these guys see the world in a different way, but this piece just makes it crystal clear. There are serious rumblings about a...

This week in our Special Outside the Box, George Friedman of Stratfor addresses what many believe to be the looming war with Iran, the potential wars' strategic futility, the underlying geopolitical implications, and the inherent threats that abound...

Introduction This week in a Special Outside the Box, George Friedman of Stratfor reflects upon September 11th, a monumental date in our country's history. George strives to discern the current and future ramifications of US military presence in the...

Introduction In this week's Special Edition of Outside the Box, Stratfor President George Friedman discusses the historical role of the U.S. Navy over the course of previous conflicts as well as what type of a role it might play in the future. Just...